Easter Sunday: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: They Believed They Had Defeated Him, but God Disappointed Them

Readings: Acts 10:34a, 37–43; Col 3:1–4 or 1 Cor 5:6b–8; Jn 20:1–9

Dear friends, today we celebrate the day that defines our faith—the day that gave birth to the gospel we proclaim. If Christ had not risen from the dead, our faith would be meaningless. Truly, we would not be gathered here under this banner; Christianity itself would not exist. The resurrection of Christ is the cornerstone of our belief. For the early Christians, the resurrection was always the starting point of their preaching—the foundation that gave them authority, courage, and strength.

We are blessed to experience this same power of God over darkness and death. We are connected to the resurrection power of Christ—the power that triumphed over the evil that sought to dominate the world, the power that rolled away the stone, the power that shattered the devil’s reign, and the power that fulfilled God’s plan to redeem humanity from the failures of our first parents.

Today, light has triumphed over darkness, life has overcome death, grace has conquered sin, freedom has broken the chains of bondage, and justice has reclaimed its rightful place. Jesus has fought the battle for us. Our hearts should rejoice in this victory. Once again, we can smile, laugh, and dance, for God ensured that death would not have the final word in our salvation story. We can hold our heads high, for we are children of victory. Christ has granted us triumph. Let us carry this banner of victory into everything we do and say.

At the heart of the resurrection lies a profound truth: It was precisely when His enemies believed they had defeated Him that God, in His infinite power, raised Him to glory.

Jesus came to liberate us from the grip of the devil and lead us back to the Father. Yet the enemy sought to frustrate this mission, stirring those in power to crucify Him. With His humiliating death, His burial, the massive stone, and the armed guards, the enemy believed he had ended the mission of the Prince of Life.

But at the very moment of the enemy’s celebration, God overturned everything by raising Jesus from the dead. What they thought was defeat became the fulfilment of His mission. His purpose was to die for us and return to the Father—and God accomplished it in a way that confounded His enemies.

What does this teach us? It teaches us to hold onto hope even when life feels overwhelming. It assures us that sorrowful stories can still end in joy for those who trust in God. It reminds us that failure is never the end for believers. It reassures us that God can frustrate the plans of our adversaries. The resurrection gives us confidence that victory will always be the final chapter of our story.

Our challenge is to awaken our faith and look beyond the sources of our grief. In today’s gospel, Mary Magdalene was so focused on the tomb that she failed to recognize the risen Christ standing before her. Her sorrow blinded her to the miracle she longed for.

It is natural to weep in times of difficulty, but it becomes a problem when grief prevents us from looking up to God. When we fixate on our pain or on closed doors, we risk missing the new opportunities God has already opened—opportunities far greater than what we lost. Through the resurrection, God provides a new path for all who trust Him in their trials.

May the power of Christ’s resurrection open our eyes to the solutions God has already placed before us in our struggles. Amen.

Happy Easter.

Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima

 EASTER SUNDAY: REFLECTION BY FR JULIAN EKEH

THEME: CHRIST HAS CONQUERED ALLELUIA!

(John 20:1-9)

Death could not do much. Death could not stop Jesus from doing anything. The great stones could not hold him. Death and the powers of darkness failed woefully. The Easter is indeed a celebration of joy, hope, and liberation. We have every reason to Rejoice and be Glad in the Lord:

 

LOVE REMAINS

By killing Jesus, the enemies thought it was going to be the end of his love and concern for the salvation of man and his relationship with man. They thought they have cut him off from the land of the living. It was not so. They gave him flight ticket to enlarge His kingdom by preaching also to the dead and taking them along with Him after a three days retreat. They couldn't even stop the love of those who really knew Jesus after all the deceptive ploys. Mary Magdalene came with love to the grave and thought they have taken away the Lord. May your joy never be taken away. May you never lose grip of what is yours. May the death of Christ reveal the depth of his love for you and may you by the power of his resurrection be drawn to believe more in Him. The world can take away everything from you but not the love of God just as they took everything away from Jesus but not the Father's love.

 

THE THIRD DAY REMAINS

The Apostles who went to the tomb confirmed that Jesus wasn't there anymore. They confirmed emptiness. But at this moment they never understood anything about resurrection.

The third day is very important. When Jesus cried: "it is finished" Maybe some of his mockers laughed and thought they have finished Him. Oh no. What finished was his pre-resurrection ministry but the fruit of the sown seed will germinate that no force can terminate. He was buried to die but he became a plant that bloomed after the third day.

What are the circumstances burying you? What are the situations puting you down in shame? Jesus cried your cry. Weep not! He died your death, fear not! But on the third he gives you assurance that it doesn't end in sorrows. He tells you that the Good Friday is necessary but can never take away the Easter reality. He tells you that your toils will bring you joy. He tells you that your own tomb will also be emptied of the devil's plan. In fact the tomb is never your place. Jesus insists that after the rains there must be sunshine. Jesus promises that there maybe tears in the night but there must be laughter in the morning.

Child of God, look towards the third day and be radiant.

 

JESUS IS ALIVE ALLELUIA

That Jesus MUST RISE from the dead was a teaching the Apostles found as a hard nut to crack. The Easter message is that the grave is not His abode. He belongs to a kingdom. He came to open the kingdom for those held bound by the power of the grave. Since Jesus has risen what are we still looking for in the tomb? Oh let us rise! He lives, and because He lives I can face tomorrow. He is alive for ever Alleluia. You cannot die again. You shall live to sing of the Lord's goodness. He took your mortality to give you immortality.

May God bless His word in our hearts.

 

LET US PRAY

We thank You Lord for restoring our joy and giving us reasons to move on proudly as children of the light by the power of Your Son's resurrection. May we live and reign with the risen Christ in the glory of His light to the shame of the overthrown enemy of salvation through Christ our Lord. Amen

Happy Easter to you and your loved ones. Alleluia!!!

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

 Easter Sunday: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

Theme: They believed they had defeated Him, but God disappointed them.

Readings: Acts: 10:34a.37-43; Col 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6b-8; Jn 20:1-9

Dear friends, we have reached the day that defined our faith—the day that birthed the gospel we share. If Christ had not risen from the dead, our faith would have been meaningless. In truth, we wouldn’t be gathered here under this banner; Christianity would not have existed. The resurrection of Christ is the cornerstone of our faith; it marks the beginning of our belief. For the early Christians, the resurrection story was always the starting point of their messages; it served as their foundation, granting them authority and strength.

Dear friends, we are fortunate to experience this incredible power of God over darkness and death. We are blessed to be connected to the resurrection power of Christ, the force that triumphed over the evil that sought to dominate the world, the power that rolled away the stone sealing the tomb, the power that vanquished the devil’s reign, and the power that fulfilled God’s plan to redeem humanity from the failures of our first parents.

Today, light has triumphed over darkness, life has overcome death, grace has defeated sin, freedom has emerged victorious over bondage, and justice has reclaimed its rightful place. Jesus has fought the battle for us. Our hearts should rejoice in this victory. Once again, we can smile, laugh, and dance, for God ensured that death would not have the final word in our salvation story. We can hold our heads high, for we are children of victory. Jesus has granted us triumph. Let us proudly display this banner of victory in all that we do and say.

At the heart of Christ's resurrection victory lies this profound lesson: 'It was precisely when His adversaries believed they had defeated Him that God, in His infinite power, elevated Him to glory.'

Dear friends, Jesus entered our world with the purpose of liberating us from the grip of the devil and guiding us back to God the Father. Yet, the devil sought to thwart this mission, aiming to keep us in bondage forever. To execute his plan, the devil incited those in power to crucify Jesus. With His humiliating death on the cross, His burial, the massive stone sealing the tomb, and the heavily armed guards, the enemy believed he had triumphed over the Prince of Life, effectively ending His mission.

However, it was in that very moment of the enemy's celebration that God, in His infinite might, turned the tables by raising Jesus from the dead. At the time they thought they had won, they inadvertently advanced the fulfilment of His mission on earth. His mission was to die for us and return to the Father.

What can we learn from this? It reminds us to hold onto hope, even when life's challenges seem overwhelming. It assures us that there will always be a joyful turn in the sorrowful narratives of those who trust in God. It teaches us that failure does not signify the end for believers. It reassures us that God can thwart the malicious plans of our adversaries. It encourages me not to surrender when faced with life's trials. The power of Christ's resurrection instils in me the confidence of ultimate victory. Remember, it was at the moment they thought they had defeated Jesus that God surprised them by raising Him from the dead.

Our challenge lies in awakening our faith and looking beyond the sources of our grief. In today’s gospel reading, Mary Magdalene was so fixated on the tomb that she failed to recognize the risen Christ standing before her. She was consumed by her sorrow, pleading with God to return her Lord and comforter, yearning for Jesus to come back to life. Yet, when the answer to her prayers stood right in front of her, she couldn’t recognize him, because her heart was heavy with sorrows.

Dear friends, it’s natural to weep when faced with difficulties or disappointments. However, it becomes a problem when we allow our grief to overshadow our ability to look up to God. Often, when we are fixated on our pain and the closed doors in our lives (like the empty tomb for Mary), we miss the new opportunities that God has opened for us—opportunities that are often far better. Through the resurrection of Christ, God provides a new path for those who maintain their faith in Him during challenging times. May the power of Christ’s resurrection help us to see the solutions that God has already placed before us in our struggles. Amen.

Happy Easter.

Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima